Testosterone is a hormone that is formed in the testes of males, the ovaries of females, and the adrenal glands. In both sexes, testosterone plays a key role in health and well-being with increased energy, strength, stimulation of red blood cell production, growth, and protein synthesis. Males, beginning at puberty, produce from about forty to sixty times as much testosterone as females, although females are more sensitive to the hormone.
Testosterone levels can vary from normal for a variety of reasons, often resulting in less than optimal levels of testosterone. For example, some young men can be hypogonadal. Further, with aging and beginning in the mid thirties, testosterone production in males gradually decreases until at the age of 80, when levels are only about 20% of the level for a normal young man. Finally, although exercise is known to be beneficial in maintaining vitality, stress resulting from early stages of overtraining may cause stress, which can result in, among other things, sore muscles, increased heart rate, and lowered testosterone levels. The advantages of testosterone can be lost with lowered testosterone levels, leading to a variety of undesirable symptoms.
Hormone replacement therapy has long been recommended for post menopausal women and some doctors recommend testosterone replacement for older men or for young men with less than optimal levels of testosterone. Testosterone is a strictly regulated, Schedule 3 substance and can be administered only through a physician's prescription. Oral testosterone is partly converted to an inactive 7-α-methyl metabolite on first pass through the liver. Injectable testosterone is the preferred mode of treatment but requires a visit to a physician's office or clinic. Generally, about 100 mg per week can be prescribed for injection to males with testosterone levels less than 350 nanograms per deciliter.
The need remains for alternative methods for raising testosterone levels for subjects in need thereof.